LOCAL rugby league all-star Luke Perry has hit a grand personal milestone, clocking up his 100th game with the Karuah Roos on the same day as the team’s historic grand final victory.
The happy co-incidence was on 13 September, during the 34-28 victory over the Stockton Sharks at Lakeside.
Luke has played for several teams around the Port Stephens and Hunter region, including Karuah, Mallabula, Cessnock and Tea Gardens, racking up over 200 games.
Last year, he hit 50 games with the Tea Gardens Hawks, sister team of the Myall River Hawks, where he first started playing football as a junior under coach Jason Slockee.
“I got permission to start playing seniors two years early, I just love footy, the sport saved my childhood because it gave me a goal to set out to achieve,” Luke told NOTA.
Luke, who grew up in the former Karuah Mission, locked on to footy to such a degree that he even started carrying a football around with him while off the field.
He recounts an inspirational NRL play back in 2007 that made him want to play even more.
“Matt Bowen became my idol when he saved a last-minute major try by Hazim El Masri, securing a 20-18 victory for the Cowboys over the Bulldogs.
“Bowen was a smaller guy, like me, on the field. I could identify with him.”
The last few years have been quite successful for Luke, with a Grand Final appearance in 2023 with the Tea Gardens Hawks, a shot in the semis in 2024 (where they were taken out by the eventual premiers from Hinton), and this year a Grand Final victory.
His 100th match also came with an announcement.
“I am taking a break from playing, while I still have my knees,” he said.
His kids are all playing in different age groups now, so weekends in Winter are hectic as the games are all over the place.
“I am focusing on family and on coaching.
“I have [coached] the juniors with Raymond Terrace and Tea Gardens in the past, and really enjoyed it, and I would also like to coach women’s and men’s teams.”
At the 2025 grand final, Luke played with Ryan Saunders, who has been instrumental in getting him into several seasons locally, as well as with many members of the Langdon family, including Jake, Kurt, Dean, Jack and Caleb.
“It was good to see them all back, especially as I played together with Jake Langdon and Darren Weatherall in the 2016 grand final win by the Roos.”
By Thomas O’KEEFE
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